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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25594903">The Epitome of Serenity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanaritsuKrizza/pseuds/HanaritsuKrizza'>HanaritsuKrizza</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arashi (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Fantasy, Fluff and Crack, Friendship, Gen, In The Summer PV, M/M, Some Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:35:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25594903</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanaritsuKrizza/pseuds/HanaritsuKrizza</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aiba, Nino, Jun and Sho were human explorers who stumbled upon a demi-god named Ohno in a deserted island. They didn't know how to leave the island at first, then they didn't want to leave at all.</p><p>[Inspired by Ohno-san's visual in Arashi's In The Summer PV]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aiba Masaki/Ohno Satoshi, Arashi/Arashi, Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi, OT5 - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Epitome of Serenity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At first glance, the man simply looked like a normal human who got stranded in the island.</p><p>His appearance was striking but his face and built were clearly like a human—more on the petite and delicate side but normal enough not to be labeled as a celestial being. He also didn't have that influential and authoritative aura that most Gods and demi-gods possessed. His stare wasn't hostile nor was it alert and if Aiba dared to hope, it almost felt welcoming.</p><p>"Are you the guardian of this place?" Jun asked and Aiba was a bit surprised half with how soft and respectful he sounded and half with what he was trying to insinuate, so he brought his gaze back to the man.</p><p>At second glance, Aiba noticed how fresh and pristine he looked—too clean for someone who was supposed to be stranded. He also didn't appear as though he was starving, he was thin and small but not a malnourished-thin, and the atmosphere he emitted couldn't be mistaken for nothing but serene.</p><p>Then suddenly, he smiled at them.</p><p>Aiba had to fight back a gasp as a tingling sensation briefly streamed through his veins like an electric current. It wasn't the unpleasant kind, though, as he immediately felt himself being covered with an invisible blanket of comfort and relief that soothed and eased all the tension from his weary mind and body. He knew he wasn't the only one experiencing it when he heard Sho and Nino at his side who mumbled an appreciative <em>'oh'</em> and an awed <em>'wow'</em> respectively. Jun, on the other hand, seemed dazzled by the man.</p><p>"I'm Ohno," the man said, his eyes kind and voice warm, and every single ounce of doubt Aiba had about this man not being a God was gone in an instant.</p><p>There was no way this divinely comforting smile belonged to any human.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"What is this place?" Jun asked again after the four of them had recovered. They walked closer to Ohno and Aiba could feel himself getting more and more intrigued by the pureness of the man.</p><p>"This is my home...?" he answered and the way he ended it with an inquiring tone told the explorers that they shouldn't place their hopes on him for that matter.</p><p>"But what is this place? How did we get in here?"</p><p>Furrowing his brows and pursing his lips in clear confusion, Ohno looked at each of them eye to eye.</p><p>"I don't think he knows," Sho whispered, not tearing his gaze away from the man.</p><p>If the four didn't know, it was highly unlikely that this man would, seeing how he was just as clueless as them, if not more. Well, that was it. Surprisingly, however, instead of getting frustrated with the lack of coherence from the man like any other human would do in this situation, they didn't feel even the slightest hint of disappointment. It seemed like it was merely impossible to hold a negative emotion in the presence of Ohno.</p><p>It was mystifying but nothing that Aiba would like to question.</p><p>"Do you know how we can leave this place?"</p><p>"You want to leave this place?" Ohno blinked.</p><p>There was a hint of shock in his tone that was drowned out by puzzlement, and they didn't miss the tiny frown that grazed his lips.</p><p>"No, never mind," Aiba spoke and was relieved that none of his friends countered him.</p><p>They were pacified with the smile that Ohno gave them afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There was a talk of how the four of them got in here.</p><p>After they settled on the cooler side of the island where rocks and greens were located and the sand wasn't relentless, they began to roll out their own theories of their unknown expedition.</p><p>Sho was saying something about a portal, most probably because of the urban hearsay from the place where they visited last. There was apparently a hidden portal behind an abandoned shrine somewhere up the mountains. It was fairly easy to find, but only a rare few would dare come close to it because it was said to be one way and there was no means to tell where it would bring you.</p><p>But then Nino dismissed it briskly saying he didn't go to that shrine with the three of them yet he was still transported here.</p><p>Sho gave him a thoughtful look, then shrugged as he said, "makes sense."</p><p>Jun had walked a few steps away from them, holding a machine up high as though he was trying to acquire a better signal. Aiba watched him for a minute as his frown became even more pronounced. The machine obviously failed to please him.</p><p>Jun's speculations lied behind the said machine. He said there might be an error of some kind and the offending failure of an equipment had warped them into another dimension. "It happens a lot with a time machine, right?"</p><p>Except his machine wasn't a time machine but a <em>place machine</em> and judging from the beeping lights from its side, it didn't seem to be near broken.</p><p>"I'm telling you, this is just a dream," was Nino's contribution in the debate. It didn't sound too far-fetched, actually, as far as Aiba was concerned. "It's either one of us was dreaming and the remaining three... or four," he glanced at their addition, "are just figments of that one's imagination, or all four of us are dreaming at the same time and just happen to meet each other in dreamland."</p><p>To be honest, Aiba didn't expect that sort of theory to come from Nino, of all people, but he wouldn't complain since the younger one didn't look murderous or possibly close to stressed even though his fingers were itching for his controllers. He looked surprisingly reposeful, which was most likely the work of the said addition that was with them.</p><p>Aiba took a peek at Ohno who was quietly and calmly watching them bicker. He was sitting on a rock with his feet dangling and his hand resting on his lap. There was an amused little smile on his lips and a twinkle on the corner of his eyes that indicated how entertained he was with what was going on. Aiba knew he wasn't laughing at their predicament, he was just amicably delighted with their exchange.</p><p>Aiba was ought to contribute his own theory, but under the watchful gaze of Ohno, he suddenly felt shy on voicing his not-so-helpful opinion. It wasn't much, anyway, as he thought it was just a work of fate—an inexplicable happenstance. Some God sent them here to fulfill a sacred mission and meet the man in the process. Maybe the said man had the answer for them or maybe he was the key... or something like that, but it was definitely their destiny to meet each other.</p><p>If he said this out loud, Sho would probably look at him with eyes full of sympathy, Jun might throw his machine at him so it would finally break (hitting two birds with one stone), and Nino would pretend not to hear him, which was the meanest because he just had the same level of unrealistic thoughts.</p><p>And Ohno...</p><p>He would probably only give him one of his beatific smile that would strike Aiba all over again.</p><p>"You really don't know, Ohno-san?" he asked instead.</p><p>As expected, Ohno smiled at him apologetically as he wrinkled his nose in an admittedly adorable way. "Sorry."</p><p>All human eyes were fixed on him, but none of the owners felt frustrated because his soothing effect was undeniable.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Are you here all by yourself?"</p><p>Unsurprisingly, it was Sho who inquired a question the next day.</p><p>Jun had stopped fiddling with his machine that was still significantly <em>not</em> broken. He had considered getting agitated by it but couldn't bring himself to do so because it being not broken was, as a matter of fact, a good thing. They could still use it, it was still capable of bringing them to their desired destination and they could leave this place in a second. But only if they knew where they were currently as they needed to input the exact location of their origin to be able to get transported to another place.</p><p>Seeming as they knew nothing about this paradise yet, Jun judged it best to find out about it first and fuss over his machine second.</p><p>"There are living creatures everywhere," Ohno answered. His voice was a bit gravelly but the tone was soft and pleasant to hear.</p><p>Nino had looked up from where his nose was buried with their ginormous map (he was making a courageous attempt at finding hints of their whereabouts) just because he felt the urge to watch Ohno speak. Aiba would've laughed at him if he wasn't feeling the same.</p><p>"What do you do <em>here</em>?" Sho asked again.</p><p>For a moment, Ohno didn't seem to comprehend what Sho was trying to ask him about. He tilted his head the tiniest bit on the side and pursed his lips in an almost pout. "I live here."</p><p>Sho and Jun exchanged confounding gazes before simultaneously turning to Nino. Aiba could only see it from his peripheral because he refused to take his own gaze away from Ohno. He was curious and interested as hell and he wanted to ask his own questions; he wanted to know more about him too—preferably, everything about him. But for some reason, he couldn't find the boldness and audacity to talk. Perhaps he was being shy.</p><p>"That's it? You just stay here?" Nino wondered, the ginormous map disregarded to some extent.</p><p>Ohno frowned. "I'm <em>living</em> here."</p><p>There was a significant pause that permeated in the air as everyone tried to think of another question to ask, or maybe they were just trying to understand his point. Aiba, however, liked to think that he realized what Ohno was telling them. He really did look like he was living a wonderful life here, not just simply staying. He looked very much alive.</p><p>"Are you a God?" Aiba asked.</p><p>Ohno laid his eyes on Aiba and studied his face for a moment. Then he smiled kindly, his frown nowhere to be seen. "Not really."</p><p>"You're a human?" It was Sho who followed up this time and with an apparent disbelief.</p><p>"I was a human."</p><p>Aiba tried to discern any sort of faltering emotion. He found none. He, on the other hand, felt a slight sting on his chest.</p><p>"You're a demi-god, not an offspring of a God and a mortal but a mortal who received a divine status. Right?" Jun supplied and it evoked a chuckle from Ohno.</p><p>"I guess I am."</p><p>Aiba didn't know why Ohno chuckled, but the sound it brought to his ears was so melodious he forgot about what they were talking about.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Nino was leaning heavily on his back, his legs were stretched on a lazy fashion. He was munching on a <em>senbei</em> that he picked out from his seemingly unlimited supply. Aiba had his biscuit at hand and the two of them were watching Sho and Jun <em>and</em> Ohno have fun in the water.</p><p>Normally, Aiba would've been on that side—playing excitedly in a childlike manner, but he found contentment in simply watching the three move and about while smiles and grins were plastered on their faces. He was in bliss while being in peace so he decided to savor the moment.</p><p>"They already look so close. Sho-chan and Jun-kun adore him."</p><p>Aiba hummed in response and observed how affectionately Sho and Jun regarded Ohno. He didn't need to voice out his agreement because Nino already knew what he was thinking.</p><p>"When he smiled at us the first time..." Aiba trailed, expecting Nino to continue for him.</p><p>"Ugh, it was one of the best feeling I ever had."</p><p>Aiba chuckled. He glanced up at the sky, ate his biscuit and appreciated the refreshing breeze that blew on their direction.</p><p>"We really shouldn't linger here for long. We have so much to explore in the West." Nino took another <em>senbei</em>, his head eventually rolling down from Aiba's back. "Then again, it's not our fault that we can't go back."</p><p>"It's not our fault," he repeated without pretensions and found himself grinning as chuckles and chortles roared in the distance.</p><p>If Sho and Jun adored Ohno, Nino and Aiba were smitten with him.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Aiba thought Ohno was really beautiful.</p><p>It wasn't the kind of stunning at first glance beautiful, nor was it the jaw-dropping extremely glamorous kind of beautiful either. Anyone would deem him nice-looking at first. Give him a second look and he was actually exceedingly charming and adorable.</p><p>However, as Aiba watched him gently tap the rocks in a rhythm that only he could produce as though he was petting them, smile endearingly at the floras as though he was conversing with them, chuckle sweetly at the white sand beneath and in between his toes as though he was playing with them and bask gloriously under the sun as though they were sharing a secret that was just between the two of them, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by his natural perfection.</p><p>Aiba could see mostly the blues, from the clear sea water up to the bright expanse of the sky. There are some greens, some brown and a wide stretch of ivory and at the center of it all, Ohno was standing.</p><p>He was <em>that</em>—the kind of picture perfect beautiful.</p><p>The demi-god was glowing. His eyes were full of mirth and joy and kindness and he was radiating calm and peace and boundless comfort and Aiba felt himself falling deeper in love.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"I finally found a clue," Sho whispered in a low voice one cloudy morning.</p><p>Jun and Nino huddled closely together while Aiba and Sho sat side by side across them, their belongings were carelessly thrown at the center and their attention were focused at the maps, devices and some kind of technologies they used for exploring, although whether they were truly using it was doubtful.</p><p>Their demi-god had been wandering somewhere.</p><p>"Great, finally," Jun said but instead of being cheerful, he sounded more dreadful. No one was surprised.</p><p>"This is a vacation of a lifetime." Aiba felt wistful.</p><p>"This is a vacation that we never planned."</p><p>"This is a vacation we didn't think we need."</p><p>"This is a vacation we'd never forget."</p><p>They really should be motivated right now and start to expand that clue Sho had presented them. Really, they should. But with that clue came a realization and with that realization came despondency and with that despondency... loneliness was looming over.</p><p>Ohno wasn't with them right now so everything suddenly felt so depressing, even the sky was threatening to pour down on them. There was a certain level of tiredness each of them was subjected to that only their own realm, space or dimension could rehabilitate. Their <em>mana</em> wouldn't be restored back to full while they were still in this paradise. Ohno's presence was giving them a temporary vitality so they could be up and about, but whenever he wasn't around, the truth of their condition would reveal itself.</p><p>Still, Aiba couldn't brush the silly thought of simply staying here for, like, forever.</p><p>"This is a vacation none of us want to end."</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Aiba had asked Ohno to have a leisure walk with him at the seaside while the sunset was giving them such a picturesque background.</p><p>There was the sound of the waves, the sparkling glint from the sand and the stunning glow from the rock formation as they got illuminated by the residual rays and it totally gave the impression of being romantic. He would've been in elation if not for the fact that he was the last one among them to have Ohno by himself.</p><p>That said, he didn't let it get to him as he eagerly took the chance presented to him.</p><p>Aiba was aware that everyone was drawn to Ohno in a special way. Even if the topic of their life forces wasn't to be considered, he knew that they were just naturally attracted to him—they were magnetized, <em>enthralled</em>, and it was to the point that their hearts and souls seek his existence.</p><p>They need Ohno, in more ways than one.</p><p>"Ohno-san," Aiba called. (He referred to him as Ohno-<em>sama</em> once, but the almost comical way the demi-god reacted deterred him from repeating it.)</p><p>"Hmm?" Ohno crouched down, picked a sea shell and examined it. He was wearing a pair of sandals, like Aiba, but Aiba couldn't remember if he had them on the first time they met him, although he was sure he had seen that same pair from Jun's possession before. (On why Jun was possibly bringing a pair of sandals not his size was beyond his understanding, though.)</p><p>"You said you were a human," he stated tentatively, uncertain on how to proceed. Then, as if Ohno could read his mind, he gave him a look that implored him to continue. "How did you became what you are now?"</p><p>Ohno pressed his lips in a thin line, probably deliberating how to answer. He picked another pretty sea shell and rubbed the sand off of it.</p><p>"Well, I died."</p><p>Aiba felt like his world had swiftly dimmed when he heard the words. There was an overwhelming sense of grief that washed over him and there was a huge lump on his throat that he couldn't seem to swallow. He was staring at Ohno and when Ohno stared back at him, he didn't know what expression his face was sporting but it was apparently enough to disconcert the demi-god.</p><p>"It's okay, Aiba-chan, everything's okay. I'm here," he said, gently and comfortingly, and put a hand on Aiba's cheek in a most soft-hearted display of care.</p><p>Aiba closed his eyes, took a deep breath and relished in the tenderness of Ohno's touch and Ohno's words and Ohno's overall existence. From a few feet afar, he could faintly hear Sho disturbing a cooking Nino while Jun was rummaging from their set of handy and highly functional tools and equipment for long-term explorations and they made his mood lighten for a whole lot.</p><p>Then, he opened his eyes to find Ohno smiling at him.</p><p>The demi-god was right, everything was okay—Ohno was with him, after all.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That night, as Aiba ventured on his own personal map and some set of magical documents from ages ago, as well as a book about Gods, Deities, and Guardians of Soul, he had a valuable discovery.</p><p>He considered what to do with his newly acquired knowledge as he gave his friends a pensive look. Jun was in a state of peaceful sleep on the right side of him and a few feet across them, Sho and Nino were seeking warmth from a single blanket. They seemed so serene.</p><p>Aiba decided to keep his discovery to himself for a little while.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Do you eat?"</p><p>The question was asked two or three days since their arrival by Nino who took a piece of chocolate from Jun's packet, bit half of it and fed Sho with the remaining half.</p><p>Curious, Aiba fixed his gaze to Ohno.</p><p>"I can eat."</p><p>Jun snatched his packet of chocolate from Nino, Nino grabbed his bag of <em>senbei</em>, Aiba picked his biscuit jar up and all three of them offered their personal comestibles to the demi-god. "Try it."</p><p>Ohno looked at the food in front of him, most likely at loss of what to do, then he gave the three of them a quizzical observation as he bit his bottom lip.</p><p>"Guys, you do realize that he <em>was</em> a human, right?" Sho interrupted as he slowly made his way to where the four of them were. Aiba chanced a glance at him and saw him holding a small bowl of suspicious looking dish. "He'd probably tried those before. If you want to make him taste something new, you have to create something original. Here, try it," he continued as he proudly presented his original creation.</p><p>"Oh no," Jun exclaimed at the same time as Nino's expression changed to horror.</p><p>"What's this?" Ohno inquired, his graceful fingers already reaching for the said bowl. He had an excited glint on his eyes as he raised one brow in question.</p><p>"It's my specialty, try it." Sho grinned, obviously pleased to get Ohno to eat his cooking.</p><p>"Ah wait, I don't think that's a good i—" Aiba tried, but he was too late as Ohno was already chewing a spoonful of Sho's creation. Together with Jun and Nino, Aiba could only feel sorry for the demi-god.</p><p>Just then, when they all braced themselves for the worst, Ohno's eyes lit up and a wondrous smile emerged from his lips. "It's good!"</p><p>They watched as Ohno's grin widened in a way that would make his eyes crinkle in the sides and Aiba wanted to snuggle him so tight because of his adorableness. Except, he couldn't understand why he would think that Sho's creation was good.</p><p>"Poor thing, he must have no taste buds," Nino mumbled from where he was standing.</p><p>"He must have already lost them," Jun agreed.</p><p>"It's a pity that he can no longer differentiate what's good and what's not."</p><p>"The thing is he can no longer differentiate what's a proper food and what's not."</p><p>"I hope he doesn't get stomachache from this."</p><p>"I hope he doesn't die from this."</p><p>"Poor thing."</p><p>"Poor thing."</p><p>The two sighed dejectedly and Aiba could only let out a chuckle.</p><p>When Sho turned to them, he said, "I just want to say that I can hear you loud and clear, but I'm going to pretend that I don't because I'm really too happy right now." He smiled and turned back to Ohno. "Go on, eat more. I'll make plenty of my specialty just for you."</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They were back behind the large field of greens where the breeze was cool and the sun wasn't piercing through. Aiba was mending his frayed pants with the sewing tools that Sho bought back in the South. Jun and Sho were lying at the patch of soft grass, eyes closed and skin flushed, while Nino was busy poking around his supplies.</p><p>Ohno was there with them too, watching Nino grumble something by himself. Every now and then, Aiba would glance at him and examined his expression, but no matter how much he tried to guess what the demi-god was thinking, he still couldn't get what it was.</p><p>"You need to go, don't you?" Ohno asked all of a sudden, stirring everyone up from the quietude. Aiba accidentally nicked his thumb with the needle as he jolted.</p><p>"What do you mean?" It was Nino who went to him after leaving his precious belongings unattended. Jun and Sho also got up to listen to what the demi-god was trying to tell them.</p><p>"You have somewhere you need to go and this place isn't it." He swiped his tongue to wet his lips and gave each of them a look that was in between searching and convincing before he gazed back to Nino. "Right?"</p><p>Aiba blinked, in conflict of what to say or do. He honestly didn't think that the one who would eventually bring that topic up was the demi-god, himself. It didn't seem like he was chasing them away, though, he actually sounded concerned as if he was aware of their condition and all the consequences that they were facing for opting to prolong their stay</p><p>He belatedly realized that none of them had resumed on digging and probing about this paradise and a possible way to leave it.</p><p>Aiba was hit with an immense guilt upon remembering how he chose to keep what he knew to himself.</p><p>Nino sighed once, then he grabbed Ohno's hand and spoke with a rare tone that was too warm and loving for him, "I'll play a music, sing for me?"</p><p>There was a pause, another set of searching eyes, and an intentional smile before the demi-god gave his consent and let Nino pull him.</p><p>Aiba's gaze followed them as they walked to where Nino left his belongings, his mind undetermined and his heart in desolate. He packed the sewing tools back to their kit and checked his patch work. The unfinished stitches were uneven and it barely fixed the damage, but he no longer wanted to mull over it as there were other important matters that needed to be pondered upon.</p><p>He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Nino's music and Ohno's beautiful singing voice were resonating in the afternoon sky as he came up with a decision.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Aiba found Jun sitting on the sand as he faced the outspread spaciousness of the sea. He appeared to be deep in thoughts.</p><p>Walking soundlessly, Aiba approached him and sat behind where his friend was perched. He leaned his back to him so they were touching back to back. Jun must've sensed the difference in his mood because he didn't swat him away.</p><p>"I've got it," he whispered after a while.</p><p>"You've got what?" Jun asked, his voice mellow.</p><p>"The location of this place."</p><p>If Jun stilled his breath, Aiba didn't notice, but he certainly felt the sudden tension that had enveloped them.</p><p>"I see." He exhaled shakily. "That makes the four of us, then."</p><p>"What?" Aiba straightened, blinked a few times, and stood up to stride in front of Jun. He sat there instead. "What do you mean four of us?"</p><p>"Knowing the location of this place, I mean," his friend said calmly as they made eye contact.</p><p>"You already know about it? The three of you?"</p><p>Jun nodded.</p><p>"And you're just waiting for me to catch up?"</p><p>"We were waiting for you to get started." He flicked his hair to the back and Aiba was distracted with how handsomely Jun did that. "It's not really hard to find out about it if you get started early. Besides, you didn't look at Sho-san's <em>clue</em>, did you? It practically has everything you need to know."</p><p>That made him lower his gaze as he got a bit overturned with the truth. "Then why didn't you say anything?"</p><p>Jun's gaze was back at him and it sent him a strong implication which he needed not to hear for him to know. "What do you think?"</p><p>Aiba sighed. They really didn't want to leave this paradise. "Let's pack up."</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Let's set something straight." Nino sat them down when Ohno had wandered off on his own. Their bodies were all exhausted but their minds were still functioning and alert and somehow, still able to make life-changing decisions.</p><p>"So we all know about the location of this place and it's very easy for us to leave and be transported to our next destination with the help of Jun-kun's place machine. But none of us had the guts to do it because we actually don't want to leave this place."</p><p>Everyone stayed silent as Nino eyed them one by one, waiting for someone to refute him even though it was apparent that no one would.</p><p>"The question is... are we reluctant to leave this place or are we reluctant to leave Ohno-san?"</p><p>Aiba felt a sting on his chest again. He already knew his answer even before Nino had finished the question.</p><p>When no one responded, Nino cleared his throat and made his point. "In my case, it's Ohno-san that I don't want to leave."</p><p>"Me too," Sho said in defeat.</p><p>"Make that three," Jun followed and everyone turned to Aiba as they awaited for him to join them.</p><p>He smiled sadly at them. "I don't want to leave Ohno-san too."</p><p>Contrarily, Nino grinned at them. "Good. Because I have a solution for that."</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"Ohno-san, do you want to explore the world?"</p><p>They already finished packing all their belongings yet were still feeling unprepared to leave. Aiba had his backpack with him, same with Jun and Sho, and Nino was sitting on his feet, facing Ohno who was seated on a rock. He was holding his hand and was looking at his eyes with an enormous amount of expectation as if he was proposing. </p><p>Well, to be fair, Nino was really proposing.</p><p>Aiba willed his heart to slow down as they all waited for Ohno to answer. If this didn't go well, they would be leaving this place with an irreparable broken heart.</p><p>"I would love that." </p><p>Nino turned back to them and beamed, still sentimentally holding Ohno's hand, but Aiba didn't want to feel relieved yet.</p><p>"We all want to be with you, so will you go with us?"</p><p>"Yes," Ohno replied, not even missing a beat. He sounded so sure and happy and it astounded Aiba greatly, but it also washed away all the anxieties and possible dejection that had come up to him earlier.</p><p>Nino smiled, Jun and Sho shared a high-five and Aiba stared at the demi-god incredulously. "Wait, that's it? I thought you'd be more hesitant to leave your home?"</p><p>Not that he was trying to change Ohno's mind or question his answer, he was just thoroughly curious why it was that easy to persuade him. As it happened, there wasn't even a persuasion needed. They simply asked him and he said yes. </p><p>He was incredibly awesomely ecstatic, though, because he really <em>really</em> wanted to be with Ohno.</p><p>"Well, I won't leave my home because I'll be bringing it with me. Everything that's in this place is here." He placed his free hand on top of his chest where his heart was and gave Aiba a smile. </p><p>"Let me just remind you that he's a celestial being, Aiba-kun. Believe what he say." Jun was beside him as he stated in a matter-of-fact manner.</p><p>"Also, you said you want to be with me, I want to be with all of you too."</p><p>Aiba wanted to hug Jun who was nearest to him. He also wanted to hug Sho and Nino, but most importantly, he wanted to hug Ohno and lock him on his embrace, yet he couldn't find the strength to move because his heart was leaping so joyfully inside his chest. He could only smile in return and whisper a sincere 'thank you'. (He would hug Ohno later once they arrived on their next destination and his <em>mana</em> was filled to the brim.)</p><p>Thank you because Ohno would go with them, thank you because they stumbled on this place and met Ohno and thank you because Ohno was brought back to life as a demi-god.</p><p>He really loved him, they really loved him, and he was sure that <em>this</em>... this is what exploring was all about—finding treasures in the most unexpected places.</p><p> </p><p>..</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Do you remember how I stayed awake</em><br/>
<em>Watchin' the sun come up to light your face</em><br/>
<em>In the summer, in the summer</em><br/>
<em>Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah<br/>
</em><br/>
<em>Do you remember how I held you close</em><br/>
<em>And I made sure you never got too cold</em><br/>
<em>In the summer, in the summer</em><br/>
<em>Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah."</em>
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  <strong> <em>-Arashi, In The Summer</em> </strong>
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  <strong> <em>-krizza-</em> </strong>
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